Taylor, Thomas Henry
Age: 43
Date of birth: 1872 (Q3)
Parents: Thomas and Annie Taylor
Wife: Annie Crathern
Address: 6 High Street, Warwick
Occupation: Career Soldier
Thomas was born in the second half of 1872 to Thomas and Annie Taylor who lived in Stratford upon Avon. He was baptised there on 29th September 1872
In 1881 Thomas and his parents were living at 40 Brook Street, Warwick, which was The Leycester Arms Inn. By this time there were three further children, Louisa (7), Frederick (6) and Frances (3). There was also a live-in servant, Sarah Wright.
In 1891 the family were still at Brook Street and the three older children were now in employment: Thomas Jnr, now aged 18, was a wood carver, Louisa was a dressmaker and Frederick was a cabinet maker.
By the 1901 census only Thomas’s siblings were still living at Brook Street with their parents. Frederick was now working as a joiner/carpenter on his own account and Frances was a schoolteacher. No 1901 census record of Thomas Henry has been found. As the newspaper article below says that he had been in the army for many years, perhaps he was already serving overseas.
In 1911, Thomas married Annie Crathern in Warwick in Q4. The couple had one daughter, Marjorie Helen, born 30th June 1914.
Thomas’ Shrine Application was completed by his mother Annie
Thomas Snr died on 30th November 1904 and his mother Annie died on 22nd December 1918.
Military Service
Rank & Number: Regimental Sergeant Major, 6317
Regiment/Service: 14th (Service) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Brigade/Division: 13th Brigade, 5th Division
Date of death: Wednesday, May 01, 1918
Cause of death/Battle: Died of wounds at Aire
Commemorated/Buried: Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Awards: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Commemorated locally at: Westgate School
Thomas served in South Africa in 1901 and won the Queens South Africa Medal + 6 Clasps for action at Belmont, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast, Cape Colony and the Orange Free State.
The War diary precis for his regiment states ”on 30 Apr 1918 RSM Taylor was in Brigade HQ in Nieppe Forest when a lone stray shell fell into the HQ building wounding only him. He died of his wounds the following day in the Highland Casualty Clearing Station”
Contributors
- Unlocking Warwick Research Group
- Warwick Advertiser excerpt and Shrine Application courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office
- South Warwickshire Family History Society
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